Keep it simple

When you run a business, you are in a privileged yet difficult position. Privileged because you have a deep knowledge and understanding of your products and services, but difficult because it is hard to put yourself in the shoes of your customers – who have much less understanding or knowledge!

There is a natural tendency amongst businesses to provide lots of information about their products or services – sometimes it seems that they think the more information they provide, the more prospective customers will be impressed and ready to buy. Often this is compounded by the use of technical terms and jargon.

But the truth is that your prospective customers are not that interested in learning all about your products or services – they just want to know what is in it for them. What benefits will they see, what problems or challenges will be solved?

The key to keeping information simple and relevant for your target market is to make sure it is written FOR your target market, taking into account their needs and level of understanding.

So, how do you do that?

First, make sure you have written or revisited your customer personas to make sure you really understand who the information is for and what their needs are. You can see our advice here.

Second, if you can afford it, use a professional copywriter. They are expert at making information simple and relevant and will do a better job than you can do. They will ask you many awkward questions and really make you think about what information is important for your target market and how it should be presented.

Third, if you cannot afford, or do not want to use a professional copywriter, test what you have written with some people who do not know much about your business – ask what they understand from reading what you have written – if they were someone with a need that your product or service could meet, is it clear to them that they could buy from you? Would they want to buy from you? What else would they need to know? What information have you given them that they are not interested in?

Our top tips:

• Do not use jargon
• Use pictures rather than words whenever possible
• Keep sentences short
• Have a structure – start, middle, end (think of it as a short story)
• Have a clear call to action at the end.

Ask third parties to review and comment on it before you unleash it on your target market!

If you have an accountant, they should be your first stop for business advice. If you don’t have an accountant or they can’t help, BuBul has a wide range of experts available. For more business advice why not follow BuBul on LinkedIn?